The Jacksonville Jaguars have been hearing rumors about trades for former first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. that have heated up after their bye week. However, head coach Liam Coen has continued to downplay any potential rumblings. He noted in his press conference on Monday that the plan for the team is to support Thomas and find ways for him to produce in Jacksonville.
“He’s gonna be able to help us make plays this week,” Coen said. “I bet it, I know it. We’re gonna continue to support him, throw our arm around him, and continue to do what we gotta do to make plays on Sunday.”
Coen noted that it is on the coaching staff to put him in a better position to succeed. He did not put any of the issues on the player.
“We gotta continue to put him in the best position to do so,” added Coen. “BT works at it. He cares about this; he cares about winning and losing, he cares about his team. We all wanna see guys have success individually, but I’m excited about attacking this week with BT.”
It makes sense for Coen to praise Thomas whether they plan to trade him or not. If they plan to keep him, the team needs him to buy in. So, putting the pressure on the coaches makes sense. If they do plan to trade him, they want to preserve his value by adding that he is a good team player.
Jacksonville Jaguars HC Liam Coen Downplays Trade Talks With Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jaguars benched Thomas in the second half of their Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. Thomas went from a 1,282-yard producer in his rookie season to being discussed as a potential inactive in his third NFL season.
He dropped to 728 yards in his second NFL season. However, it was his first with Coen as his head coach. He also dropped from 2.45 yards per route run to 1.45 yards per route.
Things have gotten worse as he has had more time to get involved in the new offense. He produced zero yards for the first time in his career in Week 5 against the Eagles. Then, he dropped a pass against Houston and got benched. He is down to 0.95 yards per route run on the season.
With three receivers playing over him and Travis Hunter emerging, trade rumors have picked up.
Thomas Could Get Traded
While Coen committed to Thomas in his press conference, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN pointed to signs of him being traded before Week 7.
“Multiple league execs believe Jacksonville will seriously consider trading Brian Thomas Jr. at the deadline now that his role has decreased,” said Fowler.
Adam Schefter added that the team might be willing to listen to offers. So, despite Coen making it sound like he is not available, the spin will be that he is denying it before a potential trade comes. When Thomas role is revealed this weekend, we will know how true his words were.
Jaguars HC Liam Coen Breaks Silence on Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Buzz